Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Trevin Perry | Medical personnel with Expeditionary Medical Facility Kilo, based out of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, receive a simulated patient in the casualty receiving area during an EMF training at the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center, Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 9–18, 2026. The process reinforces triage, intake procedures, and patient accountability during high-tempo medical operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Leandra Mojica)
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Expeditionary Medical Facility Kilo proves readiness for combat operations, global medical response
CAMP PENDLETON, California – Sailors with Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Kilo demonstrated their capacity to deliver life-saving care in a simulated combat environment during a training and operational readiness evaluation at the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center (NEMWDC), Feb. 9-19, 2026.
The training rigorously tested the team’s ability to provide Role 3 medical care, a critical capability for in-theater hospitalization and advanced trauma management.
The EMF is a deployable, land-based medical treatment facility that provides comprehensive, hospital-level medical and surgical care in support of military operations. This capability is essential for supporting distributed maritime operations and joint task forces in contested environments.
"Coming to NEMWDC is an opportunity for us to train in a more austere environment and adapt our skills from a hospital setting," said Cmdr. Claire Marie Vidrine, training officer for EMF Kilo. "We get hands-on experience with the actual supplies and tent-based facilities we will deploy with. It forces us to learn how to work without the conveniences we're used to, like electronic charting and automated systems. Instead, we are using paper charting and radio communications, logistical pieces that are critical to our success in the field."
During the training, EMF Kilo personnel were challenged with a continuous flow of simulated casualties, testing their skills in triage, patient tracking, and medical treatment under austere conditions.The scenarios included a variety of realistic battlefield injuries, requiring the team to perform everything from initial resuscitation to complex surgical procedures.
The training at NEMWDC emphasizes teamwork and communication, not just clinical skills.
“My role in the EMF is coordinating all patient movement, so when we get the nine-lines (medevac requests), I am coordinating with everyone to track how many patients are coming in, expected time of arrival, and also coordinating movement from when a patient is ready to leave the facility,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd class Clayton Simpson. “This training is absolutely necessary to work on these systems of communication before we deploy.”
The successful completion of this rigorous training and evaluation certifies the EMF as a Tier 1 ready-to-deploy asset, capable of providing critical medical support to U.S. Fleet Forces in combat and humanitarian operations across the globe.
As the nature of warfare evolves, the ability of Navy Medicine to provide Expeditionary Medicine anytime, anywhere remains a critical component of mission success.
EMF Kilo is a subordinate command of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
NEMWDC, located at Camp Pendleton, serves as Navy Medicine’s center of excellence for Expeditionary Medicine training. The command develops, delivers, and sustains advanced, scenario-based training to ensure medical personnel are ready to support combat operations across the globe. NEMWDC’s programs strengthen warfighter readiness and prepare Sailors to provide critical care anytime, anywhere.
